AYV News, August 4, 2023

The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Jiwoh Abdulai has visited the Guma Dama at Mile 13 to assess human activities within the Western Area Peninsula Forest National Park that are posing significant threats to the water security of the Western Area.

Briefing the Minister, the Managing Director of Guma Valley Water Company, Maada S. Kpenge explained that the Mile 13 Dam and other community water supply schemes like the Kongo Dam, Takuyama weir, Charlotte weir and the proposed sites for the Orugu and Big Water Dams are all under serious attack as a result of deforestation, stone mining (quarrying), construction of buildings and illegal marijuana farms within the Green Belt and Western Area National Forest Park.

He added that there is an urgent need to address these challenges and protect the water catchment areas in the Western Area Peninsula Forest National Park which principally serves as a source for the much-needed fresh water supply for the over 1.5 million people in the Western Area.

Responding, the Minister said the situation poses an existential threat and promised to escalate the matter to the Office of the Chief Minister.

He furthered that he will also be having engagements with the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation and the Minister of Lands on the consequential threats posed to water supply in the Western Area.

The Minister was led on the assessment visit of the Guma Dam area by the leadership of the Guma Valley Water Company and was accompanied by staff of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Protected Area Authority (NPAA).